Combined collapsible bin and elevator



Oct. 22, 1929.

o. SEEFELD 1,732,487

COMBINED COLLAPSIBLE BIN AND ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 21, 1925 Q U/CTU U a 375 Shuts-Sheet 1 0270 jzjald V Oct. 22, 1929. o. SEEFELD COMBINEDCOLLAPSIBLE BIN AND ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 21, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet Illlllllnlllll I. lllllul Oct. 22, 1929. OQSEEFELD COIBIN'ED COLLAPSIBLEBIN AND ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 21, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 22,1929 UNITED STATES OTTO SEEFELD, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN COMBINEDCOLLAPSIBLE BIN AND ELEVATOR Application filed August 21, 1925.

This invention relates to apparatus for the convenient handling of loosematerials such as sand, gravel and the like, in large quantities.

Such apparatus ordinarily includes large elevated bins of seventy-fivetons capacity, and more, which serve as reservoirs for receiving andstoring the materials and from which the materials may be discharged, inbatches,

as demanded, into mixers, trucks, or other means of conveyance. Portablecranes and various forms of elevators, including collapsible elevators,have heretofore been used for raising and delivering the materials into1 the bins.

The increasing demand for portable apparatus of this kind has resultedin mounting the bins on Wheels, or otherwise fashioning them tofacilitate movement from ob to job.

Attempts have also been made to provide a portable unit including acombined bin and elevator, but such attempts have not proven entirelysuccessful due largely to the time and labor required to reduce the unitto transportable form and to reerect the unit on the job. One object ofthe present invention is the provision of a combined bin and elevator soconstructed and arranged as to permit the same to be easily folded intoa compact unit of readily transportable form and just as easily set upin operative position on the job.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof two illustrative embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined bin andelevator constructed in accordance with the present invention, andshowing the same folded for transportation.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the same set upin position ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. i is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the meansfor mounting the front vertical wall of thebin.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the meansfor mounting 50. the side vertical walls.

Serial No. 51,572.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View through one corner of the bin.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a combined bin and elevator ofslightly modified form.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of one end of the elevator frame shown inFigure 7.

In Figures 2, 3, 7 and 8 the conveyor chain and buckets have beenomitted for the sake of clearness.

The combined bin and elevator shown in Figures 1 to 6 includes asupporting structure having four corner posts 10 of angle iron,connected at their upper ends by horizontal bars 11 of angle iron andintermediate their ends by horizontal channel sections 12. The structureis rigidly braced by diagonal bars 18 connecting the bars 11 and channelsections 12, and diagonal bars 14 connecting the channel sect-ions withthe posts 10. The posts 10 are preferably provided with extension pieces10 of similar form, removably bolted thereto. This structure provides apassage beneath the bin into which a truck or other conveyance may beadmitted to receive materials discharged from the bin. T he posts arealso preferably connected in pairs by removable base bars 15 disposed atopposite sides of the structure paralleling the truck passage.

The bin shown comprises the usual tapered bottom portion of well knownform, having four convergent walls 16 riveted along their upper edges tothe inner faces of the bars 11 and sloping downwardly to a pair ofchutes 17 of standard construction in the base of the bin. The upperportion of the bin is formed by four substantially vertical wallsmounted on the bars 11. These walls include a front wall 18, connectedby hinges 19 to the front bar 11, so as to swing downwardly into the binand rear and side walls 20, connected by hinges 21 to the other bars 11,so as to swing outwardly and downwardly against the sides of thesupporting structure.

Any appropriate means may be provided for releasably retaining thevertical walls 18 and 20 in the upright position shown in Figures 2 and3 and as indicated in full lines in Figures 4 and 5. In the bin shownhowever this is accomplished by riveting pieces 22 of angle iron to theinner faces of the side walls 20 adjacent the opposite ends thereof insuch position as to bear against the front and rear walls when the wallsassume their normal upright position. The front and end walls are thenbolted to the pieces 22, as indicated in Figure 6. After removing thebolts 28 the side and rear walls may be swung outwardly into inactiveposition against the supporting structure, as indicated in dotted linesin Figure 5 and the front wall swung inwardly into the dotted lineposition of Figure 4. By collapsing the bin in the manner just describedthe overall height is so reduced as to render it easily transportablewithout danger of interference with overhead obstacles such as bridges,tunnels, wires and the like. Since collapsible bins of this general typeare old and Well known in the art, further or more detailed descriptionthereof is deemed unnecessary.

The present invention provides for an assembly with the bin of anelevator, appropriate for loading the bin, so mounted as to permit thesame to be easily adjusted into position over the collapsed bin to formthere with a. compact readily transportable unit,

and to be just as easily adjusted into uprigl'it Working position besidethe bin.

The elevator shown is of a well known type. It comprises a rigid frameincluding a pair of spaced parallel bars 24 rigidly connected by crosspieces 25 and diagonal braces 26. The usual endless chain 27, carryingbuckets 28, is trained over a drive sprocket 29, on a shaft 30, at thetop end of the frame and beneath the usual pulley 31, on a shaft 32 atthe lower end of the frame. The top end of the frame carries a chute 83fixed ceives the discharge fro; 2. delivers the same into and through aing chute into the bin. The chute 34 is carried by brackets 35 and 36ren'iovably and hingedly mounted upon a removable ver' 'aal pivot rod 37which is engaged in brackets 38 and 39 permanently fixed to the elevatorframe. The lower end of the elevator frame is preferably provided withan appropriate hopper or shoe 40 for receiving and directing thematerial to the elevator.

The elevator shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8 is mounted intermediate itsends upon hori- Zontal shaft 41 extending through the side bars 24 ofthe elevator frame and journaled in a bracket 42 permanently fixed tothe front of the supporting structure. The elevator is driven in thisinstance from a gasoline engine 43 mounted upon an appropriate bracket44 carried by the supporting structure below the bin. An endless ch ain45 connects the engine with a sprocket 46 fixed to one end of shaft 41,and an appropriate chain and sprocket driving connection 47 is providedbetween the other end of shaft 41 and the shaft The elevator may'thus beswung upon the horizontal shaft 41 without in any manner interferingwith the drive and without requiring an adjustment thereof.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the positions of the parts when set up foruse. Any appropriate means, such as bars 48 fixed to the elevator frameand removably connected with the supporting structure may be employed toreleasably retain the elevator in the upright position shown. To preparefor transportation tne top vertical walls of the bin are released byremoving the bolts 23, the front wall 18 is swung into the bin and theend and side walls swung outwardly and downwardly against the sides ofthe supporting structure hereinabove described. The swinging chute 34 isthen removed by withdrawingthe vertical pivot rod 37, the bars 48 aredisconnected from the supporting structure, andthe elevator swung aboutthe shaft 41 into a horizontal position over the bin as shown inFigure 1. A compact unit of a shape conv-e isn't for transporting isthus provided. By reversing this process the bin and elevator maybe ustas easily set up ready for use. 7

The bin and elevator shown is particularly well adapted fortransportation by truck. l i ith the elevator adjusted into the elevatedhorizontal position shown so as to clear the truck passage, it is a verysimple matter to drive a truck through the supporting structure beneaththe bin, and by removing the ext nsion pieces 10 at the lower ends ofthe corner posts 10, the entire structure may be lowered onto the truckwith the elevator ex tending lengthwise thereof, as indicated in Figure1, and carried thereby to any point desired.

The combined bin and elevator shown in Figures '2' and 8 is similar inmany respects to that shown in Figures 1 to 6. The construction andmethod of mountingthe bin is substantially the same. And the elevatorframe, including the longitudinalbars 21, is likewise mountedintermediate its ends upon a shaft 41 so as to swing, from an uprightworking position into a horizontal position over the collapsed bin. Inthis instance however the elevator is driven from an electric motor 43one of the bars 24 adjacent the upper end thereof. The motor is showngeared to a counter shaft 49 which in turn is connected through asprocket chain 50 with the shaft 30 and drive sprocket 29.

Various changes may be made in either embodiment of the inventionhereinabove speciiicially described without departing from orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim 1. A collapsible material handling unit comprising an elevatedbin having walls movable to collapse the bin, a support for said binproviding a' truck passage therecarried upon a bracket 44 fixed tounder, an elevator for loading said bin, and means for mounting saidelevator on said support said means being adjustable to permit saidelevator to be moved as a unit from an upright working position besidesaid bin to a substantially horizontal position over said bin lengthwiseof and above said passage.

2. A collapsible material handling unit comprising an elevated binhaving walls movable to collapse the bin, a support for said binproviding a truck passage thereunder, an elevator for loading said bin,and pivotal means for mounting said elevator on said support to swing as.a unit between an upright position besides said bin and a substantiallyhorizontal position over said bin lengthwise of and above said passage.

3. A collapsible material handling unit comprising a collapsible bin, asupport therefor providing a truck passage into which a truck may beadmitted beneath said bin, an elevator for loading said bin normallyinterrupting said passage, said elevator including a rigid frame, and anendless conveyor carried by said frame, and means for mount ing saidelevator on said support including a pivotal connection between saidsupport and frame permitting said elevator to be swung as a unit toclear said passage.

4. A collapsible material handling unit comprising a supportingstructure providing a truck passage, an elevator adjustably mounted onsaid structure within a plane lengthwise of said passage, a bin on saidstructure for receiving material from said elevator and for discharginginto a truck therebeneath, said bin being collapsible to permit saidelevator to be folded as a unit into position thereover and clear ofsaid passage.

5. A collapsible material handling unit comprising a collapsible bin, asupport there for providing a truck passage thereunder, and a normallyupright elevator on said sup port adjustably mounted to fold over saidbin above and lengthwise of said passage when said bin is collapsed toform therewith a compact readily transportable unit.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of August,1925.

OTTO SEEFELD.

